Radwan Mujib Siddiq, grandson of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and trustee of Centre for Research and Information (CRI), made a visit to ‘Witnessing History in the Making: Photographs by Anne de Henning’ at Guimet Museum of Asian Art in Paris.
The exhibition has been produced by Samdani Art Foundation and Centre for Research and Information.
The exhibition is being held from October 19, 2022 to January 23, 2023 in partnership with Asia Now Paris Art Fair and Guimet Museum of Asian Art, according to a press release.
The first iteration of the exhibition was held in Dhaka from December 10, 2021 to March 31, 2022 to celebrate 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence.
The exhibition presents rare, never before seen images by French photographer Anne de Henning, curated by Ruxmini Reckvana Q Choudhury.
Between 1971 and 1972 the photojournalist captured the birth of Bangladesh.
Anne’s photographs from 1972 feature Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. She captured Bangabandhu giving a speech at the first Council Meeting of Awami League after the independence of Bangladesh. “I came specifically from Calcutta to photograph the event,” she said. Although at the time Anne favoured shooting in black and white, she chose to capture this event in colour because of the vibrant blue, white and red stripes of the shamiyana — ceremonial tent —that housed the event.
Radwan Mujib also attended the exhibition when it was held at National Art Gallery, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.
Radwan graduated in politics and history from the London School of Economics. He did his masters in comparative politics there.
He now looks after the CRI and is working to empower and inspire the youth through its Young Bangla platform.
Radwan is the publisher and architect behind ‘Mujib’, an autobiographical graphic novel on the Father of the Nation for the young readers.
He also played a key role in the making of “Hasina: A Daughter’s Tale”, a docudrama on his aunt Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and mother Sheikh Rehana.
Both the graphic novel and the docudrama were critically acclaimed in Bangladesh and abroad.